Walkers Around the Region of Murcia September 2021

Optimism For The New Season

Our leaders for the first walk of the season

I am writing this piece with a bit of trepidation but with a sprinkling of hope that we have finally turned a corner and that we might just be able to get back to walking as a group. As I write, the infection rates are dropping, so hopefully the alert levels will follow suit. We appreciate that many of our members will either be mad keen to walk again in a group, or still feeling reluctant or hesitant. We are hopeful we can restart in September and we have developed a programme of walks to appeal to all walkers, including those whose fitness has suffered during the pandemic. A huge thank you to our retiring President Jessica O’Hanlon who has worked on this as her final hurrah!

The safety and well-being of our walkers and of the community in which we walk are of paramount importance to us and we will have to follow the Spanish and Murcian government regulations relating to COVID-19. The situation is pretty fluid in Murcia and despite group sizes for meeting together being removed on 2^nd July, they were recently reversed and currently (mid-August) we are back to a maximum of 10. We will be keeping a close eye on the weekly announcements.

Of course some things will be different and our usual hugs and cuddles might have to be replaced by elbow shaking! For social distancing and to avoid wearing masks, we may need to walk in parallel, 1.5 metres apart or in single file. Car sharing is now possible, but whenever one passenger is from a different household, face masks must be worn by all occupants of the vehicle. Previously a significant number of our walks ended with a very sociable visit to a bar or restaurant and if this continues we will have to ensure we keep to the table limits of 6 inside and 10 outside.

Looking forward to September, here are some things to remember. About two weeks before the date of the walk our members will get an email with a description of the walk. Sometimes there will be a number limit so reply early. Always Reply Directly To The Walk Leader.

We have insurance for the group and we ask everyone to pay €5 per season (September to June). Please remember to bring this to your first walk and our Treasurer, Karin, will give you a receipt. If you have visitors, it is €1 for each of them.